


The Prime Minister and the Frog

by SydneyHorses



Series: Happily Ever After [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Frog Hubert, Getting Together, M/M, Post-Canon, Princess and the Frog AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-07-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:48:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25563838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SydneyHorses/pseuds/SydneyHorses
Summary: Hubert isn't at their morning meeting. It's incredibly vexing, not to mention the fact that there's a frog following Ferdinand around the stables.
Relationships: Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra
Series: Happily Ever After [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1827616
Comments: 20
Kudos: 155





	The Prime Minister and the Frog

**Author's Note:**

> part two of my ongoing fairytale series!! this time with princess and the frog ferdibert bc that video yesterday was So Much. ferdibert real.

Ferdinand von Aegir is having a truly rotten day. It rained earlier, and his horse Renaltia had thought it fitting to roll in the mud. He’d come to visit her during one of his few spare hours of the day, only to find her covered in mud. Now, he’s spent the better part of an hour grooming her, and he’s still not finished. That does not even get into the worst of it; for the first time he can remember, Hubert hadn’t shown up to a meeting. No one has seen him all day, and Ferdinand cannot decide whether to be worried or annoyed.

A ribbit takes him out of his thoughts, and he looks down to see a frog resting a few inches from his foot. Wonderful. He scowls down at it, his usually sunny demeanor escaping him at the moment. “Well? Are you just going to sit there, or can you be useful and eat some of the flies bothering Renaltia here?”

The frog - a hideous thing, really - puffs up its chest. 

“Oh, do not even bother.” Ferdinand smooths a hand down Renaltia’s neck, tilting his chin up into the air. “I have had a very long day. You could not possibly understand, being a frog and all.”

Ferdinand sniffs. “Well, if you must know. Hubert did not show up to this morning’s meeting, and has thus thrown everything off track. No one has been able to locate him. It is incredibly selfish, not to mention irresponsible. To say nothing of the undue stress this has placed on Lady Edelgard!”

“Do you share your woes with all woodland creatures you meet? Really Ferdinand, it’s unbecoming.” Hubert’s voice is dry and unimpressed, and takes Ferdinand completely by surprise. He jumps nearly out of his skin, the curry comb he’s holding clattering to the ground. Renaltia turns her head to the side, fixing him with a flat, unimpressed look.

“Hubert?” Ferdinand brushes a hand through his hair, attempting to school his features back to some semblance of neutrality. He looks around, but he appears to be just as alone in the stables as he was moments ago. Has Hubert perhaps learned some sort of invisibility spell? Is he trapped in it? That would certainly explain his absence at the meeting this morning.

“Down here, you idiot.” This time, Hubert’s voice sounds almost as though it’s coming from directly below him. 

Ferdinand looks down, but there is nothing on the dirt floor of the barn except for the frog, still staring up at him with unnervingly wise eyes. Do frogs always have green eyes? Ferdinand has not looked at one this closely in a long time.

He stares at the frog. “Hubert?” The frog blinks. This is very foolish. What is he thinking?

The frog opens its mouth. “Honestly, Ferdinand. It took you long enough.”

Ferdinand, much to his credit, does not jump. His eyes go wide, and he takes a step backwards to press himself against Renaltia’s side, but he does not jump. “Hubert! Why are you a frog!”

Hubert the frog puffs up his chest again. “It is not,” he says tersely, “by choice.”

Ferdinand crouches down to look at the frog. He would like to lie to Hubert and tell him that he made a handsome frog, or at least one that was somewhat agreeable to look at, but he tries not to lie when he can help it. “What in Sothis’ name happened?”

Hubert hops forward. “Could we head inside first? I would rather the Prime Minister not be seen talking to a frog.”

Of course. It’s very kind of Hubert to consider Ferdinand’s reputation at a time like this. He rises to his full height, looking down at Hubert. “Give me a moment to put Renaltia away, and then we can be on our way. Try not to get stepped on while I’m gone.”

Ferdinand unclips Renaltia’s crossties and then leads her down the aisle. After putting her back in her stall and making sure she has plenty of hay and water, he lingers for a moment, brushing gentle fingertips over her shoulder. “Titi, what am I supposed to do about this?” The mare does not answer, instead chomps away at her hay. Ferdinand sighs and presses a kiss to her neck. “You are no help at all,” he says affectionately.

He leaves Renaltia to her hay, heading back over to where he left Hubert. Sure enough, the frog is still sitting there, just as he left it. Ferdinand crouches down once more, squinting suspiciously at him. His eyes are the same color as Hubert’s, and his voice and manner of speaking was uncannily familiar. It must really be Hubert, not an agent of Those Who Slither in the Dark attempting to trick him.

“Would you like me to carry you back to the palace?”

Hubert the frog hops towards him. Ferdinand is sure that it is supposed to be menacing, but frogs are not a particularly menacing animal. He beams at the small green creature. “Fine.” Hubert stops right in front of Ferdinand, and he bends down to scoop him up into his hands.

It’s been a long time since he’s held a frog, and they are much slimier than he remembers. Still, it’s Hubert, and Ferdinand would hold a million frogs for his friend. “Where would you like me to take you?” He tosses his hair awkwardly over his shoulder, trying to get it out of his face without the use of his hands. “To Lady Edelgard, I presume?”

“No!” Hubert’s voice jumps up an octave. “Ahem. No. That is… most unnecessary. She is busy, and does not need to concern herself with such trivial matters.”

Ferdinand’s footsteps slow. “Hubert. You are a frog. I hardly think that is trivial.”

Hubert ribbits. Ferdinand is a wonderful friend, and so he does not laugh or drop Hubert. He does, however, have to bite his lip to keep from making some sort of comment about the sound. “I know how to fix it.” Hubert sounds delightfully annoyed, and as Ferdinand heads into the palace, he can’t help but let a teasing smile make its way onto his face.

The guards give him odd looks as he walks through the hallways holding a frog carefully in his hands. None of them say anything to him though, and Ferdinand reaches his room without incident. Once there, he closes the door behind him, locking them so as to ensure that the two of them are not disturbed.

“Well?” Ferdinand sets Hubert the frog on his vanity. “You said you knew how to fix it.”

Hubert hops over to the mirror and stares at his reflection. “Yes.” He sounds so very weary.

“What? Is it something awful? You never told me how this happened either.” Ferdinand crosses his arms, staring down at the frog. He is, at the very least, a pleasing shade of green.

Hubert sighs. “It’s foolish. My own fault. I was sorting through materials recovered from efforts against Those Who Slither in the Dark, and a spell scroll caught my eye. I was studying the runes and they backfired.”

“And they turned you into a frog?”

Hubert turns and hops towards Ferdinand. “And they turned me into a frog.”

He sounds almost defeated. If Hubert were himself, Ferdinand would list forward into his space, and rest a hand on his upper arm. They wouldn’t speak of it, but Hubert’s face would smooth over, and Ferdinand’s heart would stutter in his chest. But instead, Hubert is a frog, and so Ferdinand can do nothing but smile sympathetically at him. “I see. How do we fix it.”

Hubert ribbits sadly. “Promise me you will not laugh.”

Ferdinand clasps a hand to his heart. “I swear on my honor as Prime Minister, I will not laugh at you.”

Hubert stares at him, unblinking. Finally, he hops to the edge of the vanity. “You have to kiss me.”

Ferdinand does not laugh. Instead, he recoils backwards, regretting the motion as soon as he moves. “I - what? No! That is simply… I mean to say.”

Hubert closes his eyes. “I understand. Linhardt or another mage will doubtless be able to work out a counterspell given some time.”

They don’t have time. The Empire is still so fragile; to expect it to function without Hubert is out of the question. Ferdinand will just have to gather his courage and kiss a frog.

It’s just… this isn’t how he thought it would go. Ferdinand doesn’t know what they’re working up to, but he’s imagined kissing Hubert before. Normally it’s a sweeping thing; Hubert taking him by surprise while he’s working, or Ferdinand leaning over the table while they’re having tea and pressing their lips together.

Never before has he imagined that it would be when Hubert was a frog, and it was a last resort to break a curse.

“No.” Ferdinand takes a ragged breath. “I can kiss you. It is no matter.”

Hubert lets out a croaking noise. “You don’t have to. I would not force you into doing something you did not wish to.”

“It is one kiss,” Ferdinand reasons, still trying to convince himself. “Even if it is a little unpleasant, I would rather not have you be a frog for any longer than necessary.”

“It might not work,” Hubert admits. “I… I think it will. If it doesn’t work, then you may take me to Lady Edelgard.”

“I suppose that is a fair plan.” Ferdinand swallows, suddenly apprehensive. “I… you seemed sure that it would work if I kissed you mere moments ago.”

Hubert narrows his eyes. “Information changes. The documents were not especially detailed.”

“What did it say, exactly?”

“I’ll tell you if it works,” Hubert replies. “Now, stop delaying.”

Right. Of course. Ferdinand takes a deep breath, then bends down and holds out his hands. Hubert hops into his palms, and Ferdinand raises his hands towards his face. There’s no other way to go about it; he’s going to kiss Hubert for what will probably be the only time, and the object of his affections is, of all things, a frog.

Ferdinand screws his eyes tightly shut leans forward, touching his lips to the frog’s mouth. A wave of magic passes over the both of them, and all of a sudden there is a man in his arms. Hubert’s body is warm to the touch, and Ferdinand cannot help but think that this is where he belongs.

Then, he realizes what has just happened, and his face goes bright red. “I - oh! It worked! How wonderful!”

Hubert takes a deep breath, then meets Ferdinand’s eyes. “I… yes. It did. Intriguing.”

He makes no move to step out of the circle of Ferdinand’s arms. Ferdinand doesn’t question it, simply lets himself enjoy the moment for as long as it lasts. “What was the cure? You said that you would tell me if it worked.” His heart thuds dangerously loud in his ears, and he shifts his arms down, so they’re more firmly around Hubert’s waist.

Hubert bites his bottom lip. “If I interpreted them correctly, which it seems that I have, the documents stated that only the kiss of one who… cared for the cursed would be able to return them to their normal state.”

Ferdinand’s already crimson face turns scarlet. “I see. So you knew.”

Hubert looks down at Ferdinand’s arms, and still he does not move away. “I… suspected. When this happened, I thought you might be the most likely candidate.” He drags his gaze back up to meet Ferdinand’s eyes. “I must admit, I…” he trails off.

Hubert has already been brave enough for the two of them, even if he was a frog at the time. It’s time Ferdinand took a risk as well. “I care for you, Hubert.” His voice does not quaver, but he feels as though his heart may burst. “Do you feel the same?”

Hubert inhales deeply, his whole body moving. Ferdinand feels the muscles in his back flex, and fights the urge to step away. It’s like he had just told himself: he is being brave. “Yes,” Hubert replies after a moment. “Yes. I do.”

“Well then,” Ferdinand says. “In that case. Could I kiss you again, as ourselves this time?”

Hubert nods, the barest movement of his head. “You may.”

Ferdinand moves forward and tilts his head to the side, pressing his lips against Hubert’s. It’s more pleasant to kiss a man than a frog, and even more so when it is Hubert. They are both a bit out of practice, he thinks, but it matters not when he has Hubert’s mouth moving soft and warm against his.

When they finally draw apart, they’re both breathless. Ferdinand lets out a half-formed laugh and rests his forehead against Hubert’s. “Much better,” he says. They stand like that for a few moments, before Ferdinand jerks back suddenly, frowning up at Hubert. “Hold on a moment. If it was anyone who cared for you, wouldn’t Edelgard have been suitable? You two are like family.”

“Well,” Hubert says stiffly. “I wasn’t going to make Lady Edelgard kiss a frog. It’s unbecoming of her station.”

Ferdinand laughs. “Oh, so it is not unbecoming of mine?”

There’s a faint blush on Hubert’s cheeks, and it’s absolutely invigorating to know that he is the cause of it. “That’s not what I said.”

Ferdinand’s smile grows. “I do not know how I shall ever forgive you for such a transgression.” He tightens his arms around Hubert’s waist. “Perhaps another kiss, as a start?”

“I suppose I can manage that.” Hubert leans forward. This time, there is no burst of magic when their lips meet, but it feels like a new revelation all the same.

**Author's Note:**

> come follow me on twitter @edelgardlesbian!


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